Wowser

Doug Sellman, in today's Press [added: not online, but almost identical to the one in last month's New Zealand Herald], notes:

• Individual responsibility is a "tired old mantra"
• There are at least 700,000 heavy drinkers in New Zealand [population around 4 million]
• Per capita alcohol consumption up 9 percent over the last decade [but somehow "heavy drinking" has remained constant"]
• He's pushing alcohol down the road already traveled by tobacco:

  Change is coming. France has already brought alcohol in line with tobacco in terms of marketing and advertising, banning broadcast alcohol advertising as well as sponsorship of all sporting and cultural events.
  
  The University of Otago is leading the way in New Zealand; taking the enormous step forward in banning all alcohol promotion from all its premises and functions.
  
  A small town or city or even a large New Zealand city might well do the same...

• Alcohol promoters and vendors are "drug pushers".

In Sellman's world, alcohol promoters are drug pushers and Roger Kerr is one of their allies helping them in obfuscating their way out of taking responsibility for their products. Wonder what colour the sky is over there.

He also really doesn't like the Woodstock Bourbon and Cola ads, recently lauded by the New Zealand Marketing Magazine's "Stop Press" blog. Says Sellman

The ad also seems to be encouraging middle-aged women to get their teenage clothes back on and flirt with their son's best mates.
I presume some would defend these adverts as responsible business practice and contributing to a healthy society.

It sounds like Sellman's ...issues... go beyond alcohol.



I don't go for the ready-mixed drinks, but the ads are very good.